Monmouth County officials have identified another location that could serve as an emergency evacuation center in the event of a public health emergency.
During a recent meeting, the Monmouth County Board of Freeholders authorized the execution of a memorandum of understanding between the county, on behalf of the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management, and the Monmouth County Vocational School District.
Specifically, the agreement between the parties designates Biotechnology High School, 5000 Kozloski Road, Freehold Township, as an emergency evacuation center and/or community reception center in the event of an imminent or declared emergency as part of the Monmouth County Emergency Operations Plan, according to a resolution passed by the freeholders.
The freeholders said that “in an effort to further improve the county’s response to any disaster, the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office of Emergency Management has recommended that the (freeholders) authorize memorandums of understanding with private sector entities to provide assistance with such events as natural disasters, technological hazards, man-made disasters, civil emergencies, community disorders, biohazard emergencies, public health emergencies, insurgencies and/or enemy attacks against the county.”
Monmouth County has been awarded hazard mitigation funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency through the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management to purchase a mobile back-up generator and to complete the necessary site improvements to be able to connect the generator to the high school, according to the freeholders.
There will be no cost to the vocational school district for the design and installation of the necessary equipment, according to the resolution, which authorizes the use of the high school by the county and the work necessary to permit the mobile generator to be connected.
“These agreements are an important part of our pre-planning efforts and demonstrate the partnerships our emergency management team has established to ensure an appropriate response to emergencies and disasters,” Sheriff Shaun Golden said.
“They further demonstrate that responding to these events is a team effort and requires a whole community approach. The Monmouth County Office of Emergency Management has 35 other agreements with various private sector businesses, all who provide a wide variety of resources to support disaster response and recovery,” Golden said.
A spokesperson for Golden said the county completed a similar agreement in 2017 with Brookdale Community College, Lincroft, for the use of Collins Arena and the Student Life Center. These locations would be used during larger events when there is a large evacuation order initiated. For smaller events, each municipality has identified local shelters.
The spokesperson said when the county sites are established, each municipality has identified reception centers to which residents seeking shelter are directed. The county SCAT (transportation) program picks up these evacuees and brings them to the county shelter. Evacuees are not permitted to go directly to a county shelter. Reception centers are posted and publicized in the days leading up to an event.
These agreements not only provide county use of the sites, but the county has received grant funds to install generators at locations and can hire contractors to access the sites for the required work.
Although Monmouth County has shelters and agreements in place, residents are urged to have plans to relocate with family members or friends outside of the area when told to evacuate. The shelters should be a last resort and only provide limited services, according to the sheriff’s spokesperson.
